DENVER (KDVR) — Issues like the Vibrant Denver bond package and the flavored tobacco ban were the center of attention in Denver Tuesday night, but voters also got a chance to weigh in on the city’s public school board. They’ve made some big changes.
This was the only area where the mayor didn’t do well last night. All the candidates he supported lost, with union-backed candidates leading.
The Denver Classroom Teachers Association, Denver’s largest teachers union, won by a large majority last night. All four candidates they endorsed for the Denver Public School Board won.
“We’re so thrilled to hear that all four of our nominees have advanced. I mean, we’re so excited, not only for our teachers but also for our students and families,” DCTA President Rob Gould said.
All four mayor-endorsed candidates lost their races to candidates backed by union-endorsed candidates. As a result, the Denver Public School Board will look very different next year. Only one of the three incumbents vying to keep their seat, Xóchitl Gaytán, actually won. The union has endorsed Gaytan while the other two incumbents, Michel Quattlebaum and Scott Esserman, currently sit last in their races. Families can expect understanding and compassion from new members, Gould said.
“These individuals that they just elected, they know how thoughtful they are, how they really try to go in and understand what’s needed from a teacher’s perspective, from a parent’s perspective, from a student’s perspective, and I think you’ll see that these individuals have everyone’s best interest at heart and have a lot of different experiences that really lead to that,” Gould said. “They certainly sent a specific message to the mayor.”
FOX31 reached out to the mayor for his reaction, and his office said:
“Mayor Johnston respects the will of voters and their school board choices. DPS has the right leadership, and there is more great work we need to do to ensure Denver’s students and schools thrive.”
Groups have spent millions on school board races across Colorado this election cycle. Three candidates who won after being approved by the mayor in 2023 remain on the board in 2027.